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7 Saipan runners make 10K podium
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Posted on Mar 17 2020
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- Keith Longuski keeps a steady pace as he runs back to the American Memorial Park en route to a third place finish overall in the men’s 10K event. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)
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- Kosuke Sato paces a small group of runners, including Ken Song, left, as they head back to the American Memorial Park to finish their respective races in last Saturday’s Saipan Marathon. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)
Four Saipan runners made it to the Top 6 overall in the men’s division of the 10K event in last Saturday’s 2020 Saipan Marathon, while three earned the same recognition in the women’s race.
Keith Longuski was the fastest Saipan finisher in the 10K event, which started and ended at the American Memorial Park with a turnaround point across the former Saipan Mayor’s Office in Beach Road, after submitting 38:36. South Korea’s Sungchan Park topped the race with his 37:12, while Japan’s Kosuke Hara came in at second (37:41). Completing the Top 6 are Saipan’s Kosuke Sato (40:01), Ken Song (40:16), and Whit Altizer (41:24).
In the women’s division, Saipan’s Noriko Jim placed second behind South Korea’s Yunmi Lee, as the former clocked in at 43:50 against the latter’s 42:54. Two other Saipan runners joined Jim in the podium with Kaithlyn Chavez ranked fourth (49:35) and Ayano Braxton placing sixth (50:26). South Koreans Yoon Young Kang (48:29), and Jun Kyung Choi (49:44) rounded out the Top 6.
Meanwhile, young Saipan runners dominated the 5K event.
Fourteen-year-old Jim Kurt Maniago was the top finisher in the men’s 5K course, as he completed the run from and to AMP (with a turnaround point near Saipan Computer Service in Beach Road) in 20:22.
Five of the Top 6 finishers in the men’s 5K are in the U15 age group with 13-year-old Markus Toves (21:21) and Rex Pixley (21:36) and 14-year-old Ariel Narvaez (21:39) and Garrett Weaver (21:40) joining the elite group, which also had Ronald Villafria (22:09).
In the women’s 5K, 19-year-old Krizel Mae Tuazon led the finishers list after posting 27:24. Rounding out the Top 6 were her fellow Saipan runners Miaozhuo Wang (28:16), Jinie Thompson (29:09), Tyana Hix (29:55), Harumi Suzuki (30:49), and Esther Xu (30:55).
